Life Isn't Fair
by NerdyGirlGamr
Summary: 5 years after Life is Strange, Max and Chloe live together and have a child, but Chloe accidentally kills the child. How can she live with her guilt and how can she face Max?
1. Chapter 1

Max was my best friend for years until she moved away. We found each other again 5 years ago and some crazy shit went down but we saved Arcadia Bay. Sometime after that, we became a couple and about a year ago, we decided to adopt a child. I didn't think I was cut out to be a parent, but our little girl, Alesa, was awesome and she really liked me. But I can be a forgetful person. And that's what killed her.

"Chloe!" Max yelled "Wake up! You overslept and you need to take Alesa to daycare!"

"WHAT?!" I screamed

I looked at my clock, it said 7:40 and work started at 8:00. I quickly put on clothes and brushed my hair, having to miss a shower. I grabbed Alesa, eating breakfast, and headed out the door. I quickly buckled her up and started the car. I had to speed a little, (cops be damned) but I made it to work with 2 minutes to spare.

It was a bit of a stressful day. I worked as a detective, but I couldn't help but think I forgot something. I finally finished my shift and went to pick up Alesa. Then something clicked, was I here this morning? Something didn't seem right. Then I remembered, speeding to work, not dropping off Alesa, she'd been in the car all day in the hot sun! I looked into the backseat and saw her there, dead.


	2. Chapter 2

I burst into tears. She was dead, and all because I was in a rush and forgot to drop her off. I was sad at first then it turned to anger towards myself. Alesa and Max were the two things I cared about in this world and one was gone because of me. What was I going to do? I couldn't let Max find out. Maybe she could go back in time? No, that's been a little weird since the End of the World dance those years ago, and I didn't want to hurt her too, trying to bring our daughter back.

First things first, I had to get rid of the body. I rushed home, and luckily got home before Max, buried the body in the backyard and hoped the neighbors didn't see me. The whole time digging I thought up a lie. It wasn't the best lie I'd ever told, but I thought it would be a story for now. I finished digging the grave and I put a little flower on it and paid my respects. I heard Max pull into the driveway so I rushed upstairs to change out of my dirty clothes.

"Chloe?" Max yelled when she walked in the door

"Max? I'm changing. Be down in a sec"

"Okay. Where's Alesa?"

Hearing her name about killed me

"Oh, Max. It was horrible!" I said

"What happened? Hold on, I'm coming up"

She came into our bedroom and I told her my lie; that we went to the park and suddenly a man grabbed her. I couldn't have stopped him but the police saw his face and are hunting him down. It didn't feel right lying though. Sure I'd lied in the past but that was to get something, this was just so I couldn't tell the truth.

"Chloe. That's awful. I wish I could help but I don't think I should use my powers" Max said apologetically

"There's nothing that could have been done" _except for me being a forgetful idiot!_

"It's okay. We'll get through this and she will be found. Why don't we go out for dinner?"

I agreed, but not very happily. We went to the restaurant we went on our first date. It definitely brought back memories but we had taken Alesa here and I couldn't stop thinking about that. How was I going to live with this?


	3. Chapter 3

I couldn't sleep that night. What if the police found out and arrested me? What if Max found out and left me? Why did I have to be so stupid and have my daughter be dead?! I didn't just want to lie there with my daughter buried in the backyard, but I couldn't think what to do. Damn it! What did I do to deserve this?! Okay, maybe a lot of things, but something this horrible?

It was like I lost Rachel again, only I was responsible. Rachel was my only friend after Max moved and my only escape from Step-Douche. I remembered the day Max and I found her body in the junkyard, and how upset I was, since I'd thought she was missing for months and all this time she was dead.

" _That's what I'm doing to Max!"_ I thought

I didn't realize it until then but I was putting Max through my experience with Rachel. With hope she will be found but in reality, she's dead. I was finally able to get some sleep and luckily, had the day off. I saw Max left a note on the counter

"Hey. I'm working late tonight, but could you please tell me if the police find any new information? I'm sure they're working very hard to find her and I know I seem very calm but I'm actually scared. I'm just trying to keep it together, mostly for your sake. Love you, Max"

Well, that gave me some time to figure out what to do. I turned on the TV and saw on the news that there was a missing girl. How did they know?! Did someone see me?! Did Max go and tell people?! I had actually forgotten about other people at this point, I didn't even think about the news and this getting out! And I said the police were on it. Holy shit I am in trouble.


	4. Chapter 4

What was I going to do?! There were sure to be search parties and Max searching for someone I said the police were looking for! Okay, I just needed to calm down and think of a plan. May be I could get away with this. A chance. But what to do? Then it hit me. I'll "find" her myself, but there is still the issue of the police and who supposedly kidnapped/murdered her. I figured I could work out those details later. For now, I was going to "find"her dead in the woods.

Now there were two problems with my plan. 1. How could I dig her up and be inconspicuous? and 2. How can I transport the body and be inconspicuous? I looked around around my closet and found a duffel bag that looked like she could fit inside. Now was the problem of digging her up again. I went to the spot where I put the flower and started digging. I saw her body. She was covered in dirt, but looked peaceful, actually. Like she died naturally and not at my fault.

I started putting the body in the bag when I heard a car pull up. The police?! Max?! Fuck! I looked over the fence and saw Max getting out of her car. Fuck, she must've been home for lunch or something. I quickly put the body in the bag and put it in a closet by the back door. I greeted Max by the door, hoping she wouldn't notice the dirt on my clothes.

"Hey, Chloe" she said when she walked in

"Hey, Max. Um, what are you doing home? I thought you were working late"

"I thought I'd spend my lunch break with you. You seemed very emotionally distressed by Alesa's kidnapping so I thought I'd be here for you"

"Wow. Thanks, Max. I'll cook if you want"

"Let's make something together. I'm the better chef anyways"

"Are not"

"Okay. I'll prove it"

We started cooking some spaghetti and I actually forgot for a minute about the hell around me. Max had to take the food with her so I ate alone. I ate quickly and changed into workout clothes (to make it look like I was going to the gym). I grabbed the body and put it in the backseat of my car and started it.

"Excuse me, ma'am. I'd like to ask you a couple questions"

I looked up and saw a cop standing over my car. Shit, busted!


	5. Chapter 5

"Okay, what would you like to know?" I said, trying to act as nonchalant as possible

"Well, you are one of the mothers of Alesa Pricefiend, correct?"

"Yes"

"And you say that she was kidnapped by a man in the park yesterday?"

"Yes"

"Do you have a description of the man? Because no one else in the park seemed to notice this happen"

"Um, well, uh, I can't remember!" I said, panicked

"You don't? Ms. Price, I think you're lying to me" he looked in my backseat "what's in the bag?"

"Workout gear. I was on my way to the gym"

"Do you mind if I take a look?"

"Yes, actually"

"And why?"

"Because this is unnecessary search and seizure and I have my rights"

"Yes, you do have your rights, but I don't think you've been completely honest with me and, for all I know, you could have her body in there! So can I please just take a look and you can be on your way?"

"No!" I said and started driving away

I saw the cop started after me. Shit! Well, I'm already a criminal, might as well throw a car chase into the mix of my crimes. I'd never been in a car chase before so I wasn't sure how to lose the guy. I decided to cut through the junkyard. This was my only shot of not going to jail and it had a slim chance of working


	6. Chapter 6

A.N. So sorry I didn't upload a new chapter yesterday but (at least for me) the website wanted to be an asshole and not work.

I managed to lose the cop around the junkyard but I knew he could tell where I was going. I had to be fast. I managed to get into the woods and started digging for my life. I put in the body and took out a note I'd written earlier, and started crying while waiting for him to show up. He arrived about 5 minutes later.

"Alright, hands up!" He yelled as he got there

I did so, still crying

"Care to explain, ma'am?" He said seriously

"Well, *sniffle* I got this note today saying that Alesa was buried here" I said and handed him the note "so I decided to investigate and sure enough, here she is!"

"Okay, but why did you run away from me before?" He said, still not entirely convinced

"I thought the shovel in my bag would have seemed suspicious and I panicked. Sorry"

He put a hand on my shoulder, trying to be comforting

"It's okay, Ms. Price, this will get solved and the bad man who did this will be put in jail"

 _If you only knew_ "Okay, can I call Max?"

"Sure. I need to call backup" he then went to make calls on his radio and I called Max

"Max! We found her! She's dead" I said as soon as she picked up

"Really? Where? How?"

I could hear she was tearing up a bit and I explained my dirty lie, about the note and that she was in woods. I hated this, and I questioning if this was worth it. Max and the backup arrived later and Max and I were taken in for questioning while the body was taken in for an autopsy. Max went first, at least I could piece my story together a bit.

"So, Ms. Price, you say she was kidnapped while you two were in the park the other day?" The questioner asked

"Yes"

"And you didn't see the man who did? You guys are great parents" he said sarcastically

"Well, I looked at my phone for a minute and the next I see her being taken away by a man in a van and screaming"

"And no one else at the park saw this?"

"The park was mostly empty"

"So then today you got an anonymous note saying she was buried in the woods. Then you run away from an officer because you panicked since you had a shovel in a duffle bag seemed suspicious?"

"Yes"

"Ms. Price, I'm afraid your story doesn't make much sense. Why don't you tell the truth and we can get this all sorted out?"

"But that is the truth"

"I don't think so. If you don't, this might have go to court and you don't want that, do you?"

"Well, no"

"So, tell me the damn truth!"

"That is the truth!"

"Well, I guess we'll see what the judge has to say about that then"


	7. Chapter 7

"A.N. just wanted to say quickly, sorry if any of my legal terms are wrong, I don't know the system that well

We went to court about a month later. Max and I both agreed it was bullshit that we had to, but we didn't fight it. The autopsy of Alesa revealed that she had died of a heat stroke from being left in a car, so there was questioning to why a kidnapper would do that.

The trial was very nerve-wracking, especially on the chance that I was guilty but I still questioned if I should have just confessed from the start. I gave my statement and Max gave hers. Unfortunately the jury didn't seem to convinced of my story much either and I do admit, it could have been much better but it's what I could think of at the time!

The trial lasted a couple hours before the jury had to make their decision. It was the worst decision. In an unanimous decision, Max had to go to jail because "she seemed awfully shady and was refusing to share information" and she would face years for "involuntary manslaughter" I lost it. Max was going to jail for my crime. I wanted to scream

"I DID THIS! LOCK ME UP!"

But something stopped me. I'm not sure what, but I couldn't get the courage to confess. It killed me, watching them take Max away for my crime. I promised I would get her out of there that's exactly what I did.

She was in there for months and I visited her every other day. Max didn't belong in prison, she was too innocent but after 2 months, she started getting more and more insane. It's what jail time can do to a person. She was always happy to see me and I was left saying

"I'll get you out of here"

I was deeply depressed though. I hardly got out of bed some days, and near the end I just started going once a week, if I ever thought that I could manage to visit someone who I put in jail, if my meaningless life was worth that. After months of this, I thought of how I could set Max free.


	8. Chapter 8

A.N. just wanted to say, this ending is going to be sad and probably a bit unsatisfying. Nothing else to that. And I also thought I'd thank jim89 for leaving a comment after every chapter and getting really into the story. Thanks man, but I can tell you're going to hate the ending.

"Dear Max,

Our time together has been great. But, there's a secret I've kept from you, from everyone for months. I killed Alesa. It was one morning I was late to work, and I completely forgot about her in the backseat. Then in the series of events that put you in jail, I managed to get away with it, but at what cost? Your sanity, my sanity, and Alesa and I's lives. By the time you read this, I'm going to be dead. I may have seemed happy when visiting you, but I didn't want to leave our bed every other day, because it was my fault Alesa was dead and you were in jail. None of this was worth it. I should have told the truth from the very beginning, I should have been in jail instead of you. I'm sure you hate me, and I can never forgive myself, so I made it a win-win and hanged myself so you could never have to deal with me again.

Im sorry, Chloe"

That was my suicide letter to Max. I gave it to the police to give to her and she was released, but I was gone by that point. I decided to hang myself so I could have a slow, painful death, for the suffering I deserved. I'm sorry, Max, for everything.


	9. Chapter 9

A.N. I wasn't going to write an epilogue, but I got the suggestion (again by jim89, again, thanks man) and I thought it was a good idea so here's a bit of Max's POV afterwards. This will be the last chapter, no more after this

MAX'S POV

She really did it. She actually set me free but at what cost? Her life. The police let me go after a couple days after I gave them the suicide note and sure enough, when I got home, I found her dead body hanging by a noose in our bedroom. I cried at the sight.

"You didn't have to do this" I managed to say through tears, not like she could actually hear me though

The funeral was a few weeks later, and I tried not to cry, but everything did, I kept thinking of her, and how much she must have cared about me. It was then time for me to give my eulogy and I tried to make it as emotional as I felt, to live up to what she did and why she did.

"Chloe Price was a lot of things, a best friend, a girlfriend, and a mother. But, as humans, we do tend to forget things, and that was the case of what happened to Alesa. She blamed herself and went through this crazy effort of hiding it. That's how I know how much she really cared, about me, about Alesa, and about everyone. Chloe, if you can actually hear me from wherever you are, I want you to know that I don't blame you at all" I was starting to choke up a bit "I'm as much to blame. I could have taken her, I could have woken you up earlier, there's so many things that could have been done that would have made this entire thing not happen. If only you'd told me, I wouldn't have lost you too. Chloe, I love you and will never stop, so please, if you can hear me, I'm sorry. For everything and that you decided to commit suicide. I'm sorry" I was in full tears right there over her coffin

CHLOE'S SPIRIT POV

 _Thank you, Max. Thank you_


End file.
